Oenobier: Chenin Blanc
Trillium Brewing Company

 

Pours like a Chardonnay wine with minimal white head that is very effervescent and fizzles out quickly. Has a light funky aroma, very gentle and earthy. Flavor is light earthy funk, oaky like a wine, bright acidity. Carbonation adds to a creamy texture. Overall a very tasty wild ale.

2/24/22
11.2 oz bottle dated 13/Sept/18
4.25 rating

 

Large bubbled, quickly dissipating head which leaves no remnants of lace whatsoever. Clear, with a lighter golden color.

The smell is very strong, almost overpowering. While not overly tart, the combination with alcohol could make one cry with a large enough whiff. There is an underlying wine aroma, almost like smelling a spent barrel which once held wine long ago.

The flavor is equally powerful and unlike anything I've had before. More sour than wine, the chenin blanc is very evident in the taste. Think a sour wine spritzer, except more fully bodied. Plenty of effervescence, though. The taste profile starts off as a sour but the finish is winey. The aftertaste is a blend of the two.

Drank from an 11.2 fl oz (330 ml) bottle purchased at Trillium Brewing Company, Boston, MA
13/SEPT/18
Served in a Trillium Permutation Series glass

The beer poured a nearly crystal clear, light golden color and was topped by a fluffy, finger-tall, brilliant white crown that fell to a thick, resilient collar. Tiny streams of bubbles were observed ascending the liquid. A few streaks of lacing trickled along the glass.

The aroma was really interesting. White wine notes came through strong. The Chenin Blanc juice was definitely quite apparent. There was a nice crisp, bright tartness from the wild ale base. Somewhat lemony. Moderately musty and funky. A sweet, cereal grain-like quality was also noticeable. Well balanced and pretty complex.

The flavor profile was also impressive but a bit more simplistic. Really crisp and bright on the front end. Big lemon presence. Tart but not excessive so. White wine notes were again apparent. Wheaty in the center. More lemon and zesty lemon peel on the back end and the finish. Hint of lingering dry, oaky tannins.

The mouthfeel was fantastic. Super light and fluffy on the palate. Very Champagne-like. The liquid contained a zippy, larger bubbled effervescence that turned frothy and smooth on the palate.

Many of Trillium’s wild ales have a tendency to be excessively sour and acidic, but this one was fantastic. The wild base beer was tart, funky and quite dry, and the Chenin Blanc grape notes added the perfect amount of sweetness and complexity. With nearly eighteen months of age on the bottle at its release, the brewery made a great call by aging this prior to its sale.